One of the major characteristics of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s post-Ukraine crisis decision-making has been his willingness to use his military as a blunt instrument of the Kremlin’s policy.

Between a multi-billion-dollar military modernisation push, expensive and high-profile new weapons development, and military operations in Syria and Ukraine, Putin has attempted to project conventional military strength while demonstrating an actual willingness to use force.

But there’s one big problem: The Kremlin just can’t sustain its current level of military investment.

According to Reuters, Russia plans on slashing its military budget by 5% in 2016. This would be a notable number in any era, and constitutes the largest cut in defence spending in Putin’s presidency. It’s especially important in light of Russia’s current roster of very expensive military policies.

Putin’s challenge is to sustain an aggressive foreign policy that has been at the core of his popular appeal — despite the political and economic cost of propping Bashar al-Assad, or cleaving off parts of eastern Ukraine.

The cut in defence spending exposes one of the biggest contradictions in Putin’s policies. Putin’s influence and appeal are rooted in military expansion and adventurism — but this approach leaves the country more isolated and less capable of sustaining a military in the first place.